Friday, July 24, 2009

Still Knee-dy

But It's All Good

Ok, if you want to know how a horse feels after having its joints injected, just ask me. Well, that's if the horse has any swelling from the treatment. Actually it is much like what the less invasive stifle injections are all about. The idea of part of my knee treatment is to irritate the ligaments so they thicken (kind of like scar tissue) and tighten. This is the prolotherapy.

The second thing is the PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections which are based on stem cell therapy. By taking some of my blood, processing it and then injecting it directly into the joint. Because this processed blood contains stem cells and the body's natural growth hormones, it stimulates the joint to repair itself and grown new cartilage to protect the joints from arthritis. This is cutting edge therapy without any cutting....*G* Stem cell therapy has been used in horses with great success and is just beginning to be reconized as a beneficial treatment for humans. My doctor has been doing it for years--well ahead of the mainstream curve.

At any rate, my knees are still pretty sore and "tight" feeling which I consider a good sign because that means the inflammation needed to get the ligaments to tighten is there. So, as with horses, particularly stifles--which is the same joint as the human knee--the irritation can be quite good.

But annoying. Yesterday, I could barely walk. Today I am far more mobile and did go out to clean the stalls and pick out the arena so I could drag it...later when it cools off. But, there is no way I can go swimming, mostly because I can't quite figure out how I would get out of the pool once I was in. There is a ladder, and I seriously doubt I could climb it. I'm not too sure the swimming kick would work either, but I could just kind of float around. I thought I about the lazy river, but when I sit in the tube I don't support my back or neck properly, so without the swimming to counteract that effect, I didn't think that would be worth the trip.

I am pleased to report that while I was working in the barn, the Boys were very sociable. Toby really wanted to be petted, which was very nice. Then, when I went out to the arena, Tucker was standing in the run in shed. Suddenly, Toby whinnied from the barn. Tuck whinnied back. This was repeated as Toby came around the corner and saw Tucker. Then he came into the arena, but, instead of going over to Tuck, he came to me! Aw. Cute. Does that mean I am actually the "alpha horse?" Wouldn't that be nice.

I will have to hold off on the riding or "horsework" until tomorrow, presuming my knees feel better by then. I may be giving a lesson as well, which is fine, since I can sit down now and then if I need to.

I have news about Stacie and her new horse, but I will need to let things settle for a while before much reporting. Apparently, he is not the horse she hoped he would be, so it may not work out for her. It's a bummer as it took her so long to find a new horse and now it looks as if he's not the right one for her.

When I think about my horse owning/buying/adopting experiences, I have been very lucky. But, at the same time, I have not always gone horse hunting with a long list of requirements. My philosophy has been that I will be able to train each horse to do the things I want him to do, and if he shows no talent for that, I will enjoy the effort anyhow. The good thing about not having a ton of aspirations is that you are seldom disappointed.

I keep wondering if I had tons of money to spend to buy a horse just what I would do. It's a thought to ponder.

Something to keep me occupied while I wait for the knees to feel better.

4 comments:

I think the knee treatments sound very interesting and I'm going to talk to my doctor about them for my left knee. I'd like to put off getting that one done for a long long while. We've always taken whatever horse there was and worked with them through training too. It's nice to think of an unlimited budget and what sort of horse would magically appear in the barn. But the truth of it is, I've loved working with all the horses we've had over the years.

I think for a successfull buy you must have a SHORT realistic list, mine was samll, smooth gaits, as trained as I could afford.Then remember that it takes ONE year to know a horse, and that after a few months of ownership there are lots of problems that will come out. Horses are not perfect, neither are we.

It sounds to me that perhaps Stacey needs to work on herself the perfect horse does not exist even with ALL the $$$ in the world, you WILL HAVE to work on the relationship.IMO it is what is most important part of owning such a beautiful animal ^-^

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About Me

I have been riding for more than 50 years and owned horses since 1971.
I am a retired High School English teacher and a political/environmental activist.
I write fantasy stories/novels and am a soprano choir member and soloist. I have also authored a few songs that have been published and performed.